Thursday, November 04, 2004

The New York Times has a curious piece today about the reappearance of Glen Canyon which had been filling with water since the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River in 1963. The five-year-long drought in the West has shrunk Lake Powell, which formed behind the dam, by 60 percent revealing canyon walls that haven't been seen in decades. The article talks to environmentalists and others who bray about how wonderful this is. And, the reporter points out that the change may be permanent and that more and more of the canyon will continue to reappear even if the worst drought in 500 years doesn't continue.

Let me see. Where do I start? The West is experiencing the worst drought in 500 years and The New York Times is talking about how lovely Glen Canyon is. Of course, it is lovely and it was a shame to cover it. But, it seems to me that the real story is what the country will do about its western half and the people who live there if the drought continues for another five years. Huge lines of water trucks heading west come to mind.

UPDATE: The Times did cover the drought issue with seriousness earlier this year. The article is available here.

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